[Inkscape-user] Inkscape Borked :(

[Abrolag]

I've just got around to updating my main machine from debian jessie to stretch
(I only ever do this when a release freeze is well established) and it's fine
for everything except Inkscape.

Existing files are all over the place - especially where text is concerned,
and trying to change a font in any way causes Inkscape to freeze.

I tried to compile an older version but configure doesn't seem to recongnise
libraries that are installed (yes I included .dev) or calls for ones that I
can't find anywhere.

debian has no fall-back system so it would seem the only solution would be to
scrap the entire install and go back to jessie. This is something I *really*
don't want to do.

[Steve Litt]

On Wed, 26 Apr 2017 09:05:24 +0100

Post by Abrolag
I've just got around to updating my main machine from debian jessie
to stretch (I only ever do this when a release freeze is well
established) and it's fine for everything except Inkscape.

Have you talked to the Debian people yet?

Post by Abrolag
Existing files are all over the place - especially where text is
concerned, and trying to change a font in any way causes Inkscape to
freeze.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "Existing files are all over the
place": Whether it's misplacing files, or whether some work and some
don't, or whether they all have different symptoms.

Post by Abrolag
I tried to compile an older version but configure doesn't seem to
recongnise libraries that are installed (yes I included .dev) or
calls for ones that I can't find anywhere.

I'd recommend you download and compile both:

* The version Stretch gives you, and
* The latest stable release of Inkscape.

The latest might be incompatible with Stretch's existing libraries.

Post by Abrolag
debian has no fall-back system so it would seem the only solution
would be to scrap the entire install and go back to jessie. This is
something I *really* don't want to do.

I'm really not a fan of Debian. Why don't you try installing qemu and
then a different distro (I recommend Void Linux) on a Qemu virtual
machine. That way you can limp by until the Debianistas can repair
their compilation of Inkscape, or until you figure out what other root
cause has reared its ugly head. I use Inkscape on Void Linux every day:
It works great. Your Virtual Machine can access a hardware host's
directory using a bind mount. I did that in Void Linux for six months
(using a Ubuntu VM) before discovering how to get LyX to compile my
books on Void.